


Story Thieves: Crashing Clouds

by Spark_Doodles



Category: Story Thieves Series - James Riley
Genre: Free Verse, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Poetry, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 09:12:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14713269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spark_Doodles/pseuds/Spark_Doodles
Summary: Bethany and Owen were biking to the library when a car comes out of nowhere- and rushing to the hospital, Kiel and Bethany realize how much they need Owen just when he might not come back. Set in a lively, poetic beat, this short story lead by Bethany, Owen and Kiel pulls you in from the first line and drops you in the clouds with the last.





	Story Thieves: Crashing Clouds

Story Thieves: Crashing Clouds

Bethany:  
I've always dreamed of flying  
And now  
Owen is flying  
But this is not beautiful  
This is  
Terrifying.

My mom texted me  
I stopped to answer  
But Owen  
Owen kept going  
Pedaling  
Laughing  
"Now I'm ahead."

I cannot I cannot  
Someone needs to help  
Because  
Now he is falling  
Crashing  
And the car is moving on.

Owen:  
I think  
I am like the sky  
Black  
And blue  
Dripping liquid  
Drip drip  
But this is not rain  
Because rain is not red  
Blood red  
My blood.

Everyone is being too loud  
Quiet  
I need quiet  
To think  
Because  
I have questions  
But no answers.

Kiel:  
I came as soon as I heard  
It took me too long  
Now I am in the hospital  
The doctors didn't want to  
Let me in  
But I came  
For Owen  
Owen  
Who is asleep.

"Comma"  
That's what Bethany says  
Bethany is crying  
Isn't a comma  
Just  
Grammar?

But if it was true that  
We are in a book  
Commas  
Must mean more  
Much more  
To Owen.

Bethany:  
Owen's mom is here  
Mine too  
I called  
Somehow  
They understood  
Through my tears.

"Might be a coma"  
I can't I can't  
Owen is lying down  
His hair is a mess  
I try to focus  
On that  
Since  
Since it is cute  
Cuter  
Than the blood  
Dripping down his nose.

Owen:  
Someone is rubbing me  
Wiping off the rain  
No-  
Blood  
Cleaning my arms.

I want to say  
Ow  
But  
My lips are glued together  
Like my eyes  
Must be  
The Magister  
Wait. Who?

Kiel:  
The  
Police came  
Bethany says  
She didn't  
Get a good look  
At  
The car  
She was looking at Owen  
Everyone says  
They understand  
I don't.

How can you hit  
A kid  
A boy  
A boy on his bike  
And keep going  
As fast as you did before  
With no guilt?

Bethany:  
Two hours earlier  
Everything  
Was fine  
But now  
Owen has done it again  
Bittersweet  
Now everything's a mess.

In thirty seconds  
It will be worse  
They will check  
His heartbeat  
And  
I am sure  
That nobody could miss  
His metal heart.

Owen:  
"Car wreck"  
They whisper  
Whispering  
Finally  
I can think  
But  
What about?  
I don't remember.  
Everything is foggy.

My head is beating  
Like a drum  
No  
Thunder  
Because I  
Am the sky.

Kiel:  
The doctors  
Are confused  
His heartbeat is  
Normal  
But not his heart  
That is because, doctors,  
Owen has the biggest  
Heart  
Of anyone I know.

I wish I knew  
How to help  
I am a thief  
A magician  
But no magic  
Can fix this.

Bethany:  
Why  
Oh, why was it today  
Couldn't this have waited  
Just  
One  
More  
Day?

Today  
We would have gone  
To the library  
Maybe  
If we had left sooner  
This  
Would not have happened.

Owen:  
Charm  
Is smiling at me  
Finally  
This is only  
The second time  
Of hopefully  
Many more.

She looks different  
"His heart-"  
Sounds different  
Is something  
Wrong?

Kiel:  
I hate  
Feeling useless  
I am not useless  
I am Kiel  
Dragon-Slayer  
Magisteria-Saver  
Boy Magician  
A Main Character.

Owen likes  
The last one best  
Oh.  
Oh Owen  
Why?

Bethany:  
Owen's mom  
Is trying  
To tell them they are wrong  
"Owen  
Has never had surgery."  
Oh, Ms. Connors  
If only you knew  
That isn't the half of it.

If something  
Isn't on your medical history  
Did it ever happen?  
It did  
In a different dimension  
On a planet  
By robots  
Controlled  
By a psycho.

Owen:  
?  
.  
.

Kiel:  
The doctors  
Say its official  
So now  
Owen  
Has officially  
Gone into  
A comma.

Coma.  
One M  
A coma  
Is much worse,  
Apparently.

Ms. Sanderson  
Explained  
Even though  
I didn't say anything  
She says she knew  
"It's a mom power"  
She was trying  
To keep it light.

Bethany:  
Nonononono  
No  
Owen.  
Owen no.

Without you,  
Who is going  
To make plans  
That don't work?  
And tell Kiel  
about  
Batman?  
Who  
Is going to draw Charm in class  
While we  
Pretend not to notice?  
Bittersweet, bittersweet.

Owen:  
.  
.  
.

Kiel:  
It  
Has been three days  
And  
We are still waiting  
Waiting  
For something  
To happen.

Hey, Owen  
If you can hear  
Me  
Wake up.

Wake up.

Bethany:  
Somehow  
School keeps going  
All these people  
Don't they see?  
Everything is different.

I don't understand  
How people don't notice  
That  
The bookish kid  
Who cleaned the school library  
When  
No one was looking  
Is  
Gone?

Owen:  
.  
.  
.

Kiel:  
Today  
Mr. Barberry  
Took me aside  
"Kyle,  
I don't know you  
Very well  
But I heard about  
Owen  
And  
Wanted to know  
If  
You  
Needed anything?"

Yes.  
I need Owen back.

Bethany:  
Before he left  
I never really noticed  
How much  
Owen  
Meant.

I think  
Life  
Without my Best Friend  
Is  
Unimaginable  
Except  
I don't really have  
To imagine  
It  
Anymore, do I?

Wake up,  
Owen.

Owen:  
.  
.  
.

Kiel:  
Four days.  
But  
Who's counting?

It would be  
Like  
Counting sheep  
By the time you  
Are almost  
Done  
You  
Can't finish  
Because  
You are  
Gone.  
Asleep.

Just  
Like  
Owen.

Bethany:  
I  
Need a book  
But I can't  
Even go  
Go  
To  
The library  
Without remembering.

Someone  
I don't know  
Is  
Working the desk  
How odd.  
Ms. Connors  
Won't leave Owen's side  
I wish  
I could do  
The same.

Owen:  
.  
.  
?

Kiel:  
They let me  
Out of class early  
I have never been so  
Happy  
Elated  
All those  
Magnificent  
Wonderful  
Words.

And I am light  
Light  
Light as a feather  
Dancing, round the moon and stars-  
No.  
Coming back, because I am off to see Owen.  
Owen.

Owen is awake.

Bethany:  
Can't wait can't wait  
Pat-pat  
My shoes  
On the pavement  
Outside  
The hospital  
Just  
Let me in.

Laughing  
Owen  
Pale, makes his hair look darker  
Is sitting up.  
"Bethany!"

I smile  
Kiel is already there  
Beat me to it  
Oh well  
Owen is awake.

Owen:  
Actually  
I  
Don't feel that good  
Like the clouds  
With a  
Headache.

And I don't know why  
But  
I can't get it out of my head  
That I  
Am the sky.

Kiel:  
All is well  
Owen  
Had to stay one more night  
In  
That hospital  
Getting monitored  
He denied  
His metal heart  
It is a mystery

Owen doesn't like  
Mysteries.  
But  
I think  
He likes this one.

The End


End file.
